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UH Makes Princeton Review's Green List Three Years in a Row

April 18, 2012-Houston-

Earth
Day is once a year, but the University of Houston does its part to help the
planet every day.

Each
year, UH continues to reduce its carbon footprint through enhanced
sustainability initiatives and increased participation from the campus
community. Such efforts have been crucial to the university’s recent
recognition in The Princeton Review’s 2012 “Guide to 322 Green Colleges.” UH has
been recognized as a green university by The Princeton Review for three consecutive years.

“UH
is thrilled to be recognized again by The Princeton Review as one of the
nation’s greenest colleges,” said Emily Messa, associate vice president for administration. “This is a testament to the integration of sustainability into the fabric of our university. We recognize that sustainability is a
continual journey and look forward to learning and growing with our community.”

Messa
is among the dedicated staff members and students overseeing Green UH, the
initiative leading campus sustainability endeavors. Its partners include the
university’s Sustainability Task Force, Green UH Student Leadership Council and volunteer Eco Reps.

Each
year, UH students also participate in the national Recyclemania competition. This year, the university has collected recyclable materials equivalent to 22 metric tons of carbon dioxide (comparable to taking 65 cars off the road).

UH
also hosts annual sustainability events including Green UH Day and the Earth
Day Carnival. This year’s carnival is set for 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., April 19 in the
university’s Butler Plaza (in front of the UH M.D. Anderson Library).

A
highlight of last year’s green efforts was the installation of the campus’
first solar array. Through a $140,000 gift from Green Mountain Energy, UH
received 88 photovoltaic solar panels for the university’s central utility
plant. The panels power its administrative offices and produce up to
23,615-kilowatt hours of clean energy each year. It is estimated that this
array will contribute to energy savings of up to $300,000 over 30 years.

This year, UH also benefitted from 60 new recycling bins that were donated by ALCOA,
as well as 300 new trees that were planted on campus.

The
Princeton Review's Guide to 322 Green Colleges profiles institutions of higher education
in the United States and Canada that demonstrate a strong commitment to
sustainability in academic offerings, campus infrastructure, activities and
career preparation. The 232-page guide is the only free, comprehensive,
annually updated guide to green colleges. It is published by The Princeton
Review in collaboration with the U.S. Green Building Council. It can be
downloaded at www.princetonreview.com/green-guide.

“We are pleased to make this free resource
available to all students seeking to attend colleges that practice, teach and
support environmentally responsible choices. To that end, we highly
recommend the terrific schools in this book,” said Robert Franek, senior vice
president and publisher of The Princeton Review.

The
Princeton Review selected universities for this guide following surveys that
were completed by the colleges’ administrators. Surveys contained more than 50
questions regarding university policies, practices and programs. Based on these
surveys, The Princeton Review tallied “Green Rating” scores from 60 to 99. The
universities listed in this guide scored 83 or higher.

“We’re honored to be part of a list of schools working
hard for sustainability,” said Leah Wolfthal, UH program coordinator for
sustainability. “We’re also excited about the unfolding progress made not only
last year, but also by what’s to come!”

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About the University of Houston

The University of Houston is a
Carnegie-designated Tier One public research university recognized by The
Princeton Review as one of the nation’s best colleges for undergraduate
education. UH serves the globally competitive Houston and Gulf Coast Region by
providing world-class faculty, experiential learning and strategic industry
partnerships. Located in the nation’s fourth-largest city, UH serves more than
39,500 students in the most ethnically and culturally diverse region in the
country. For more information about UH,
visit http://www.uh.edu/news-events/.